Approval rates
To understand how your case might be viewed, it is helpful to look at the statistical history of the judge assigned to your hearing. Judge Nguyen has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 56% over 22,193 decisions. This is compared against the latest office-wide approval rate of 66% and the national average of 58%. These figures provide a broad view of historical trends rather than a guarantee of future results. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Nguyen's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Over a 10-year tenure, your judge's approval rates have fluctuated within a stable range. Starting with a 53% approval rate in 2016, the yearly figures have moved between 53% and 59% throughout the decade. The most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 61%, which represents a slight deviation from the long-term average. This trend suggests that while the judge's approach to evidence remains consistent, recent case outcomes have trended upward compared to the 2024 period.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Nguyen's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Nguyen? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Mt Pleasant MI hearing office
The MT Pleasant MI Hearing Office serves you across the Michigan region, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a professional environment where each ALJ processes a significant caseload. You can expect a hearing process focused on the specific medical documentation provided in your file. You can see the MT Pleasant MI Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the MT Pleasant MI Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 55% to 63%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence and the clarity of your testimony. You can review the full roster on the hearing office page.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.